Other Personnel in Incident: Glenn H. Daigle (released POW)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 May 1990 from one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK March 1997.

REMARKS: DEAD/BURIED ID 1516028970

SYNOPSIS: When nuclear powered USS ENTERPRISE arrived on Yankee Station
on December 2, 1965, she was the largest warship ever built. She brought
with her not only an imposing physical presence, but also an impressive
component of warplanes and the newest technology. Her air wing (CAG 9) consisted
of more than ninety aircraft. Among her attack squadrons were VA 36, VA 93,
VA 76 and VA 94. She launched her opening combat strike against targets in
North Vietnam on December 17, and by the end of her first week of combat
operations, the ENTERPRISE had set a record of 165 combat sorties in a
single day, surpassing the KITTY HAWK's 131. By the end of her first
combat cruise, her air wing had flown over 13,000 combat sorties. The record
had not been achieved without cost.

On December 22, the ENTERPRISE teamed with the carriers KITTY HAWK and
TICONDEROGA in one of the war's biggest strikes to date, with one
hundred aircraft hitting the thermal power plant at Uong Bi located fifteen
miles north-northeast of the city of Haiphong. This was the first industrial
target authorized by the Johnson administration. The ENTERPRISE's
aircraft approached from the north and the KITTY HAWK/TICONDEROGA
force from the south, leaving the plant in shambles. The day's casualties were two A4Cs
from the ENTERPRISE, an RA5C Vigilante, and an A6A Intruder -- six
Americans shot down.

One of the A4s was flown by LTJG Wendell R. Alcorn, a pilot from Attack
Squadron 94 onboard the ENTERPRISE. Alcorn's aircraft was shot down
about 15 miles north-northeast of Haiphong and he was captured by the North
Vietnamese. For the next 7 years, Alcorn was a "guest" in the Hanoi
prison system. He was ultimately released in Operation Homecoming on
Valentine's Day, 1973.

The second A4C shot down on December 22, 1965 was flown from the
ENTERPRISE by LT John D. Prudhomme. Prudhomme's aircraft was hit by enemy fire and
crashed near Alcorn's position. Prudhomme was not as lucky as Alcorn; he
was deemed to have been killed in the crash of his aircraft. He is listed
among the missing because his remains were not recovered.

The RA5C reconnaissance aircraft was shot down about 5 miles east of Hai
Duong in Hai Hung Province, about 30 miles from Alcorn and Prudhomme.
Its crew consisted of the pilot, LCDR Max D. Lukenbach and his rear-seater,
LTJG Glenn H. Daigle. LTJG Daigle was captured by the Vietnamese and held in
Hanoi until his release on February 12, 1973. Lukenbach, according to
intelligence received, died in the crash of the plane and was buried
near the crash site.

The fates of the crew of the fourth aircraft to be shot down is
uncertain.  Pilot CDR Billie J. Cartwright and his rear-seater LT Edward F. Gold
were declared missing in action after their A6A Intruder went down about 30
miles northeast of Haiphong.

On December 23, twenty-four hours before President Johnson's
thirty-seven-day bombing halt would take effect, another large flight
launched from the ENTERPRISE for strikes in North Vietnam.

LTJG William L. Shankel describes the flight:
"About twenty planes were going after a bridge over the Red River,
halfway between Hanoi and Haiphong and I was in the second section. My A4 was a
real dog, and I had to cut corners to keep everybody else from running off
and leaving me. I reached the target by myself, pulled up, and rolled in to
dive-bomb the bridge. The plane was hit as soon as the bombs left, at
the bottom of the dive... When I went out, the plane was inverted and almost
supersonic, and the ejection really thrashed my right knee."

Shankel, Alcorn and Daigle were all held in what has come to be known as
the Hanoi prison system -- The Hoa Lo (Hanoi Hilton), Heartbreak Hotel, the
Zoo, Alcatraz, Briarpatch and others. Although their captivity was distinctly
unpleasant, both from the standpoint of torture and deprivation and from
themental torture of wondering year after year, if they would ever come
home, these three are among the more lucky ones. They came home alive.

At the end of the war, 591 Americans were released from the Hanoi prison
system. Military authorities at the time were shocked that hundreds more known
or suspected to be prisoners were not released. Since that time, nearly 10,000
intelligence reports have been received relating to Americans who were prisoner,
missing or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Some officials, having reviewed
this largely-classified information, have reluctantly concluded that large numbers
of Americans are still alive in captivity today.

These reports are the source of serious distress to many returned American
prisoners. They had a code that no one could honorably return unless all
of the prisoners returned. Not only that code of honor, but the honor of
our country is in jeopardy as long as even one man remains unjustly held.

William L. Shankel, Glenn H. Daigle and Wendell R. Alcorn were promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during the period they were Prisoners
of War.  Billie J. Cartwright was promoted to the rank of Captain and Edward
F. Gold to the rank of Commander during the period they were maintained
missing.

William L. Shankel, MD is a surgeon and resides in Laughlin, Nevada.

 
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